Ok, I've been doing some writing for the document and I've come up with an intro and a basic outline. Heres what I have so far:
Introduction
Civil liberties are strongly valued in our society and if we agree to give up one of them we must make sure there is a legitimate and necessary reason. Many “recreational drugs” have proven to be considerably dangerous or addictive and have demonstrated little to no use in medicine. These substances, of course, are tightly controlled. However, when we are talking about a plant with tremendous medicinal potential and a weak, mostly unsubstantiated case for prohibition we should reconsider if it is really necessary to restrict another civil liberty in order to, at best, attempt to control this beautiful member of the mint family called Salvia divinorum. Its appearance is similar to many houseplants, however it produces an extremely unique chemical called salvinorin A. While salvinorin A is hallucinogenic, it has been shown to be non-toxic (cite) and there is no evidence to suggest that it is in any way addictive. In fact, there is substantial evidence suggesting it has potential in treating cocaine and amphetamine addiction (cite). This document covers Salvia divinorum's medicinal potential, scientific value, and also recommendations on how to ensure this plant is handled safely. Writing this document was a collaborative effort and it is supported by a cumbersome list of prominent scientists and enthusiasts (listed below).
[Nice picture of Salvia divinorum in bloom]
Background information
-history
-salvinorin A mechanism of action
-non-toxic
Medicinal potential
No potential for long-term abuse
There are many popular misconceptions about Salvia divinorum, presumably these led to some of the proposed bans. Many of these misconceptions have their origin in sensationalistic stories presented by misinformed journalists, and others derive from the absurd advertising claims of unethical herb vendors who market this herb as a “legal high” and deliberately exaggerate its effects to increase sales. The fact is that the effects of Salvia divinorum are not appealing to recreational drug users. The majority of people who try it find that they do not enjoy its effects and do not continue using it. It does produce an altered state of awareness, but does not produce a “high” (i.e., it is not euphoric or stimulating). Salvia divinorum produces a state of increased self-awareness. For this reason, some people use it as an aid to meditation, contemplation, and spiritual reflection. There are people who are intrigued by salvia’s effects, but even these people use it infrequently. Because it increases self-awareness, it is useless as an escapist drug. When used in a careless manner, it tends to produce unpleasant experiences, and that of course discourages further use (i.e., abuse is self-limiting).
Unnecessary increase in law enforcement expenses
Recommendations
-under 18 ban
Salvia divinorum is an important medicinal herb that has no potential for long-term abuse. It does not present a significant risk to public health or safety. Obviously, there is a problem with young people using this herb (especially when they use it carelessly). There is a sensible way to deal with that problem: regulation that prohibits sale or delivery to minors. This is a useful medicinal herb that enriches the lives of many responsible adults. Since it is by all accounts a remarkably safe herb (when used responsibly), it would be overly restrictive to make it illegal for all citizens. Placing it in Schedule I would deprive people of a safe and useful medicinal herb, and it would seriously hamper promising medical research. Because of its complex stereochemistry, salvinorin A is virtually impossible to produce synthetically. It is important that its source plant, Salvia divinorum, remain available so that researchers can continue to study this important compound.
Sent on behalf of...
[everyone involved in writing + scientists, etc (phone #, address, name, signatures?)]
References
Someone offered to make a PDF version of the document, which we definitely need to do.
Also the above doesnt include the ways to take action section, but we will have to work out different versions for different purposes. We obviously wouldn't want to send ways to take action to legislators. And we might want to add a section on safe usage to give to smoke shops and online Salvia vendors.
Tell me what you think of it so far (this is just what I have written; I haven't incorporated anyone else's writing yet).
